Telephone-call recorder



(No Mdel.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 1.

W. F. SMITH. TELEPHONE GALL RBGORDER.

Fig 2.

(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 2. W. F. SMITH. TELEPHONE GALL RECORDER.

Patented June 12,1894.

3 Sheets-Sheet 3.

(No Model.)

. W. F. SMITH. TELEPHONE GALL RECORDER.

No. 521.4122. y Patented June i12, 1894.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM F. SMITIL-OF SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA.

TELEPHONE-CALL RECORDER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N o. 521,422, dated June 12, 1894.

Application ledMay 5, 1893. Serial No. 473,131. (No model.)

.telegraphically from a subscribers station to the operator at a switching-station the number oi' another subscribers station with which connection is desired, and it is designed to take the place of the present mode of transmitting these numbers or calls orally. The invention consists essentially ofa printing-mechanism at the switching-station con-V structed and arranged to print or mark in suitable characters upon atape or paper strip the figures or characters composing the call and mechanism located at the subscribers telephone to actuate the said printing mechanism telegraphically, substantially as hereinafter fully described.

-By this apparatus the party at a telephone when calling another subscriber operates the printing mechanism at the switchingstation by transmitting the electric current in pulsations or impulses along the line and prints or marks upon the tape or paper strip the number of the other telephone with which connection is desired, reproducing mechanically by means of that mechanism the call or switching-number in form to be read by the operator, and thereby dispensing with the operators telephone, bell-signal or other modes of oral or audible communication. The printed tape or strips of paper', when preserved, also serve to show the number of switches made by a subscriber during any given period of time, if a record of the same is required at the switching-station..

The following description explains at length the nature of my said invention and the man ner in which I proceed to construct, apply and operate the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

Figure 1 is a front elevation and Fig. 2 is a vertical cross-section of a portion of a tele phone switch-board showing in position over the plugging holes that part of the apparatus which produces the call at the switchingstation. Fig. 3 is a front View of the telephone at a subscribers station and that part of the apparatus which actuates telegraphically the recording mechanism attheswitching-station. Fig. 4t is a front view, or top view, of this telegraphic transmitter on an enlarged scale. Fig. 5 is a similar view, with the front or top removed. Fig. 6 is a longitudinal section taken on the line c a: Fig. et. Fig. 7 is a transverse section taken on the line a; y Fig. 41.-. Figs. 8 and 9 are transverse sections taken on the seam line but on an enlarged scale and showing the two different positions assumed by the mechanism in sending positive and negative currents. Fig. 9n is a view of the slide B removed from the slot. Fig..1O is a perspective view of a portion of the rocking circuit-closer and switch by which the battery circuit is reversed. Fig. 11 represents in side elevation the printing mechanism which is located at the switch-board; one side of the frame orV case being cut away to expose the parts inside. Fig. 11a is a front View of the case inclosingthe mechanism. Fig. 12 is a plan or top view of Fig. ll. Fig.'13 is a vertical section on the left hand side of line a: y Fig. 1l. Fig. 14 is a vertical section on the right hand side of line as Fig. 11. Fig. l5 is a top-view of the printing wheel Fig. 16 is a bottom view of the same part. Fig. 17 is a top-view of the printing pad and its lever. Fig. 1S is a perspective view in detail of the lockinglever of the ratchet-wheel that actuatesthe printing wheel, and the levers which operate the locking-lever. Fig. 19 shows details of the dog that holds the printing-wheel from turning back during the printing operation. and 2l are top-views of the disks that operate the printing-wheel. Fig. 22 is a top-view of the printing-Wheel and the paper-feed. Fig. 23 is a side-elevation of the same parts. Fig. 24 is an end-view of the magnets and armatures of the setting mechanism. Fig. 25 is a view in perspective of the paper-feeding and controlling mechanism. These views are given on an enlarged scale.

That part of the apparatus that is located at the subscribers end of the telephone-circuit I shall terxn in this description the telegraphic transmitter, while that part which Figs. 2O

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is situated at the switch-board and produces mechanically the call at that end of the line I shall term the printing-mechanism.

The transmitter A (Figs. 3 to l0 inclusive) is constructed to produce mechanically any required number of pulsations of a positive current from a local battery upon the subseribers line for the purpose of setting the type-wheel of the printing-mechanism, and at the end of such setting movements to reverse the current for the purpose of throwing the type-wheel back to position after each setting movement. The principal parts of this transmitter are the rocking circuit-breaking plate B, the teeth or projecting contactpoints ZX on the plate and the sliding button B', carrying two pivoted dogs C C. The sliding piece B is conned in a slot ax in the case A but is free to move from end to end in this slot. Pivots b bX for the rocking-plate to move on have bearings in the ends of the case, and curved springs e e xed to the back or the bottom of the case are set under the rocking-plate to hold it in position when at rest.

B2 is a pointer on the knob of the slide, and c2 is a row of figures on the case along one side of the slot to measure the length of movement of the slide that is required to set a given number on the type-wheel of the printing mechanisminto position to print at the other end of the line.

X and Y are conducting-stri ps or wires connected to the positive and negative sides respectively of a local battery.

Z is a ground wire running through the case, as indicated in Fig. 4t by dotted lines, and shown in the sectional views (Figs. 7, S and 9)a T is a fixed wire or cond noting-stri p extending through the case A under the slot and connected directly into the line-wire of the subscribers circuit. The bottom end of the slide B setting against this wire T is always in contact or electrical connection with it. The two pivoted dogs C C on opposite sides of the slide B are arranged to swing or yield in contrary directions, that is to say, the dog C is rigid during the movement of the slide along the slot in the direction of the arrow x,

v (Fig. 4) but in the return stroke or movement the dog swings back on its pivot. The other dog C' acts just in the contrarydirection and is rigid on the return stroke of the slide B while the dog C swings loose on its pivot. Both dogs are held by stop-pins c2 on their acting stroke, but are loose and swing freely on their non-acting stroke and each one has a non-conducting block C3 on its back face. The function of these dogs is to move the rocking-plate on its centers, and. each one on its acting stroke elevates the opposite side of the rocking-plate by depressing the side directly under it.

By moving the slide B along the slot from the top toward the bottom of the scale, or in the direction of the arrow X (Fig. 4), and by `negative side y is thrown upon the line.

the contact of the dog C with the projections dx on that side of the rocker-plate, the negative side of the plate is closed upon the ground wire Z (as shown in Fig. S). The etect of this contact is to ground the negative side of the local battery and to throw upon the line-wire T a number of impulses from the positive side of they local battery through the contact of the dog C with the contact-points or projections cZX on that side of the ratchet-plate. The number of these positive pulsations sent along the line depends on the number of projections struck by the dog C in its movement, and conse` quently the number is determined by the length of the stroke or movement of the slide B. The projections ZX are so spaced and arranged as to their number with reference to the type-wheel and its operative mechanism at the other end ot the line that the movement of the slide in its slot from one end down to the numeral l of the scale will send over the line the number of pulsations required to set the numerall on the type-wheel into position to print that figure on the paper strip, and so on for every numeral or character of the scale. After each setting movement of the slide B along the scale itis returned to the top of the slot before being set to the next numeral, and by this return movement the rocker-plate is thrown into the opposite position, as illustrated in Fig. 9, by which means the positive side a: is closed upon the ground Z and the In this return stroke of the slide B the d'og C is rigid and acts to depress that side of the rocker-plate by striking and riding along the continuous projection f on the rocker-plate, while the other dog C rides loosely over the projections dx and is not in electrical contact. The negative current transmitted by this position of the rocker-plate (shown in Fig. 9) acts on the printing-mechanism to set the type-Wheel back to the starting-point after each printing operation. In this manner the slide of the transmitter is operated to set the type-wheel step by step for each numeral by pulsations of a positive current, and to bring the wheel back to the startingpoint by reversing the current before setting it to the next numeral. The two positions of the rocker-plate that produce this alternation of the current are shown in the sectional views Figs. 8 and E), and the position of the rocker-plate when at rest is shown in Fig. 7.

The transmitter can be mounted either directly upon the telephone or in any position convenient to the telephone.

The printing-mechanism located at the central office or switching-station consists mainly of a type-wheel, a paper-feeding mechanism acting to move a tape or strip of paper under `the type-wheel, an impression pad or plate acting to bring the paper into contact with the character ot the type-wheel and mechanism actuated by a polarized relay to set the type-wheel to print in successive order any IOO IIO

3 Sheets-Sheet 3.

(No Model.)

. W. F. SMITH. TELEPHONE GALL RECORDER.

No. 521.4122. y Patented June i12, 1894.

Tn: nArxoNAL Lnn'oennnmu cuMPANY.

wAsmNaYoN. n. c.

ters in the signal to be transmitted and recorded. At the end of every operation the mechanism is restored to position again by a simple return movement of the button.

It will be understood that the rod U is always restored to position ready to start at the first pulsation; because the spring R3 throws the lever R over and holds it against the rod as soon as the current is o; but the rod V has no spring and remains in whatever position it is set by its armature S2. When apositive current is transmitted, therefore, the beveled end of thelever MX is thrown over to the left and the lever M is released and its end M2 is allowed to drop into the ratchet-teeth in the wheel Il, and iii that position the lever remains until the current is reversed, while the upper rod U continues to vibrate while the positive pulsations are flowing over the line. As soon as the current is reversed the beveled end of the lever M is thrown over to the right and it acts then to depress the rear end of the lever M and throws up its dog m2 clear of the ratchetwheel.

To ink the characters of the type-wheel an inking pad K is iixed under the wheel in position to come in contact with the face of the characters as thc printing-wheel turns.

The case or frame in which are mounted the parts of the printing and paper-feeding mechanism has an opening in the front through which the paper is projected; and in arranging this part of my apparatus at the switch-board or central office it is set behind an opening in the switchboard in convenient position to the keyboard of the operator; so that as each printed portion of paper is projected through the opening in the switch-board it can be seized and detached from the continuous strip. When these subscribers calls are printed on a continuous strip I provide a paper tape N specially prepared for this purpose, having lines of perforations or indentations N at intervals apart across it which divide the tape B into strips of proper length, as illustrated in Fig. 12. For the greater convenience of the operator and also to prevent confusion where several calls may be received at the switchboard at the same time, the telephone number of the subscriber can be printed on each division of the tape, as shown in Fig. l2.

Each strip when detached at the line of per- Y forations N bears both the subscribers telephone-niimber and the number of the call which he sends in; and by preserving these detached strips they furnish a perfect record of the number of switches made by a subscriber during any given period of tune. I

The subscribers printing mechanism is placed either above or below his indiv1dual annunciator at the switch-board, where annunciators are used 5 but in4 most cases such annunciators can be dispensed with, as the printing tapes or strips of paper will furnish a sufficient signal to the operator as they are projected through the openings in the switchboard.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim therein as new, and desire to socure by Letters Patent, is

1. Thecombination of the type-wheel G, setting-wheel H, setting-lever R, brake-lever M, coil-springs g hX and a polarized relay having separately acting armatures S S2 and rods or arms U V actuated by said armatures, constructed to operate substantially as described. p

2. The combination of the type-wheel G, setting-wheel H, coil-springs g hx settinglever R means to vibrate the said lever by pulsations of an electric current, brake-lever and actuating means whereby said lever is caused to hold and release said setting-wheel at properintervals to set and reset the typewheel, locking lever and printing-lever actuated by or from the movements of said setting mechanism while the type-wheel is held at rest, constructed to operate substantially as described.

3. The-combination with the reciprocating feed-plate adapted to feed the paper-strip step by step with relation to the movements of the type-wheel Gas described, of the swinging brake-block Q having a pointed end to engage the paper, for operation as and for the purpose described.

4.. The combination of the sliding-piece B', dogs G G carried thereby and arranged to act in contrary directions, the rocker-plate B having contact-points and surfaces dx and f set in working relation to said dogs as described, the stationary conducting strip T, ground-wire a', contact-strip X Y and slotted-plated having a numbered scale therein to measure the length of movement of the sliding-piece, constructed for operation substantially as described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto set my hand and seal.

WILLIAM F. SMITH.

LL. s]

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